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Don’t Miss This Dark and Compelling Thriller!

Seventeen-year-old Isabelle went missing from Denton Pennsylvania. Although Detective Josie Quinn was currently suspended from her job, she couldn’t stay quiet. The investigation to find Isabelle was taking too long. And although the chief assured Josie that everything was being done to find the girl, Josie was not convinced. So Detective Josie Quinn started to dig, and the deeper she researched, the uglier and more complicated the case became.

Detective Quinn discovered that Isabelle was not the only teenager who had been abducted around Denton in the past few years. The Denton Police were dragging their feet and still considered Isabelle to be just a missing person. Detective Quinn knew better; these girls were not runaways; they were being kidnapped. She just hoped that they were still alive. The closer Detective Quinn came to the perpetrator, the more dangerous life became for her, and everyone, she cared about.

I love Detective Josie Quinn. She’s a no-nonsense kickass female detective. I never warmed up to any of the male characters in the book, except Noah, the loyal but less than macho, police officer. Vanishing Girls is a dark, gritty, and compelling crime thriller. Although some pieces of the book were a bit over-the-top to be believed, the story itself was riveting and memorable. Vanishing Girls stayed with me long after I finished the last page. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.

Lisa Regan is the USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Detective Josie Quinn series as well as several other crime fiction titles. She has a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master of Education degree from Bloomsburg University. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, daughter, and Boston Terrier named Mr. Phillip.

Another Great Read by Giacomo Giammatteo

Murder Is A Promise is the fifth book in Giacomo Giammatteo’s Friendship and Honor Series. I’ve read and enjoyed the first four books in this series, and the fifth is no exception. Murder is a Promise is a perfectly paced, engrossing, crime police procedural.

Frankie Donovan, aka, Bugs, is a NYC detective, he’s also best friends with a ruthless killer, Nicky Fusco, the Rat. Since Nicky was released from prison, he’s been earning an honest living and does his best not to murder anyone. But when the Russian mob put a target on Detective Donovan’s back and threatened his family, the Rat reached out to the Italian organized-crime world and asked for help. Asking for assistance, however, from Dominic Mangini, is dangerous business. His favors are never free, and the cost is guaranteed to be something unsavory.

Detective Donovan and Nicky Fusco have been my favorite characters for some time. I love their easy banter and wise-crack comebacks. Murder Is A Promise is a great read. It’s action-packed, character-driven, and captivating. If you haven’t read books 1– 4 in this series, you’re missing out on some great reads. I recommend you read them all.

I live in Texas now, but I grew up in Cleland Heights, a mixed ethnic neighborhood in Wilmington, Delaware, that sat on the fringes of the Italian, Irish and Polish neighborhoods. The main characters of Murder Takes Time grew up in Cleland Heights, and many of the scenes in the book were taken from real-life experiences.

Since this is a bio some of you might wonder what I do. I’ve had a successful 30 year career as a headhunter, recruiting top talent for some of the world’s best companies–Apple, Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, and many high-profile start-up companies.

During that time I’ve completed more than 500 searches, which translates into evaluating, editing, and writing thousands of resumes. I have also interviewed and done reference checks on more than 1,000 candidates. I’ve learned what companies want to see on a resume–and, perhaps more importantly–what they don’t. You’ll find a lot more information in the book and on my website.

Getting back to the bio–when my kids were young I left the Northeast and settled in Texas, where my wife suggested we get a few animals. I should have known better; we now have a full-blown animal sanctuary with rescues from all over. At last count we had 45 animals–11 dogs, a horse, a three-legged cat and 5 others, and 26 pigs.

Oh, and one crazy–and very large–wild boar, who takes walks with me every day and happens to also be my best buddy.

In the evening I help my wife tend to the animals, and at night–late at night–I turn into a writer.

New Compelling Thriller by Mindy Mejia–Coming 9/4/18

Nineteen-year-old Lucas Blackthorn and his father disappeared in the Minnesota Boundary Waters wilderness, ten-years ago. They were both assumed dead. But when Lucas Blackthorn ransacked a nearby outfitter store, the search for his father resumed. Lucas was sent to a nearby psychiatric hospital. He was mute and unresponsive.

Assistant speech therapist, Maya Stark was assigned to work with Lucas Blackthorn. The staff at the hospital were amazed when Maya received an immediate response from Lucas. It baffled everyone, but Lucas, as to why he would connect with Maya, and no one else.

Against hospital rules, Maya became emotionally involved with Lucas. She became his ally, and crossed professional lines, risking her job, her heart, and her future. Lucas needed to find his father. Maya did too, but not for the same reason. Maya had her own secrets and agenda. She wanted answers.

Leave No Trace is a complex and compelling thriller. Although I didn’t find the book entirely realistic, I was engrossed in the story from the first page.

Mindy Mejia received her MFA from Hamline University. Her debut novel, The Dragon Keeper, was published by Ashland Creek Press in 2012. The granddaughter of Minnesota farmers, she lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two children. She is the author of Everything You Want Me to Be.

Check Out Rhys Bowen’s Newest Humorous Release- Coming 8/7/18!

Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding is a light, historical fiction, cozy mystery. The book is set in England, during the 1930s. Lady Georgianna Rannoch is thirty-fifth, in line for the throne. She decides, however, to throw away her royal heritage, and the stuffy prince that came with it, to marry Darcy O’Mara; a handsome Irishman. And, even though, Darcy’s hush-hush, questionable, occupation keeps him from Lady Georgie, for extended periods of time, she still wants to marry him.

Lady Georgie is delighted when she receives a letter from one of her ex-step-fathers, Sir Herbert. In his correspondence, Sir Herbert has offered Lady Georgie his estate in Eynslegh, to use. Since he’s often away for years at a time; he wants Lady Georgie to make it her home. Sir Herbert warns her, however, that something is not right at Eyslegh, but he doesn’t know what.

Lady Georgie was shocked at the condition of Sir Herbert’s estate. His once beautiful home was in shambles. And, the staff, heavens! Where did he ever hire them from? They were inept, rude and lazy. And, when she threatened to throw them all out, she was informed that only Sir Herbert could fire them. The problem was, though, Sir Herbert was somewhere in South America, climbing a mountain, and unreachable.

There was definitely something shady, going on at Eynslegh. The servants were lying to Lady Georgie, and stealing from the estate. But when someone tried to snuff Lady Georgie’s life out, well, that was the last straw. Lady Georgie wasn’t about to let a bunch of no-good, servants intimidate her. She was the mistress of Eynslegh, after all; and she would get to the bottom of whatever was going on.

Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding is a well-written, over-the-top, humorous tale. If you don’t mind a bit of silliness, then this cozy mystery might be just the book for you.

Rhys Bowen is the New York Times bestselling author of two historical mystery series as well as the #1Kindle bestseller In Farleigh Field and the international bestseller The Tuscan Child.

In Farleigh Field was nominated for the Edgar Award, won the Agatha award for best historical mystery as well as the Bruce Alexander Memorial Award.

Rhys was born in Bath, England and educated at London University but now divides her time between California and Arizona. Her books have been nominated for every major mystery award and she has won fourteen of them to date.

She currently writes two historical mystery series, each very different in tone. The Molly Murphy mysteries feature an Irish immigrant woman in turn-of-the-century New York City. These books are multi-layered, complex stories with a strong sense of time and place and have won many awards including Agatha and Anthony. There are 17 books so far in this series plus three Kindle stories, The Amersham Rubies, Through the Window and The Face in the Mirror–a great way to introduce new readers to Molly’s spunky personality.

Then there is Lady Georgie, Rhys’s latest,and very popular, heroine. She’s 35th in line to the throne of England, but she’s flat broke and struggling to survive in the Great Depression. These books are lighter and funnier than Molly’s adventures. They poke gentle fun at the British class system–about which Rhys knows a lot, having married into an upper class family rather like Georgie’s, with cousins with silly nicknames,family ghosts and stately homes. The twelfth book in the series, Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding, will be published August 2018. Two books in the series have won the Agatha award for best historical mystery.

The series received the Readers Choice Award for favorite mystery series and Rhys was nominated for career achievement. It was also voted one of Goodreads top 10 cozy mysteries. The books have been translated into many languages and brought Rhys fans from around the world.

Her most recent achievement has been the big World War 2 stand-alone novels, In Farleigh Field and The Tuscan Child. They have enjoyed impressive sales world-wide and brought Rhys many new readers.

As a child Rhys spent time with relatives in Wales. Those childhood experiences colored her first mystery series, about Constable Evans in the mountains of Snowdonia. 10 books including the Edgar nominee Evan’s Gate. She has lived in Austria, Germany and Australia, but has called California her home for many years. She now escapes to a condo in Arizona during those cold California winters. When she’s not writing she loves to travel, sing, hike, paint and play the Celtic harp.

New From Ian Smith-The Ancient Nine-Coming 9/18/18!

The Ancient Nine is a book about one of Harvard’s most private and elite society groups, known as the Delphic Club. This exclusive group had the most secrets and mysteries of all of the Harvard clubs. There were rumors of dark undercover happenings, missing persons, and murder. Within the Delphic Club was another secret society known as the Ancient Nine.

Spencer Collins was from Chicago and had a single parent upbringing. He was attending Harvard to play basketball and study medicine. Spencer was astounded when he received an invitation to a private party for Delphic Club members. Spencer didn’t fit their mold. He wasn’t from a wealthy family, or live in a prestigious neighborhood. He never attended private schools and didn’t mingle in the same circles as the elite. So why him? His best friend Dalton Winthrop, however, who knew about Harvard’s exclusive clubs, said that Spencer’s invitation was the real deal.

Spencer had no idea what he was getting into but was eager to find out. The underworld of secret Harvard societies was about to open up for him.

The Ancient Nine is an intriguing story, well-written, and captivating.

The most expensive event of the summer on Nantucket was to be the marriage celebration between Benjamin Winbury and Celeste Otis. It was being held at the Winbury’s Nantucket beachfront home. Greer spared no cost in planning Benji and Celeste’s happy day. The only wrinkle, Greer could see, affecting her son’s wedding, was the report of a missing person, and the dead body that was floating in front of their home, the morning of the wedding.

Everyone at the Winbury home was being questioned; nerves were on edge, hearts were shattered, fear was everywhere as the intricate web of sordid, dark secrets were unearthed, one by one.

The Perfect Couple is an incredible whodunit mystery, crafted with an intriguing plot, flowing dialog and colorful characters. There wasn’t a dull page in the entire book. The characters are beautifully developed, realistic and flawed. I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say that I never figured out who the true villain was. Brilliantly crafted. I loved it!

Elin Hilderbrand first discovered the magic of Nantucket in July 1993. Her recipe for a happy island life includes running, writing at the beach, picnics at Eel Point with her three children, and singing “Home, Sweet Home” at the Club Car piano bar. Here’s to Us is her seventeenth novel.

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I’m a blogger, book reviewer, and the author of Discover New Authors & Great Reads. I also write short stories, flash fiction, and drabbles. My work has been published in several e-zines, as well as in the anthology, Lessons From My Parents by Michele Robbins.
I’m a voracious reader and enjoy writing book reviews and sharing them. I have three beautiful children, a daughter, and two sons. My favorite pastimes include reading, writing, and traveling the country with my husband.
My quotes:
"Whatever the Question...Kindness is the Answer."